ASE Global Blog

Echo Nagpur and Live Humanitarian Mission
By Dr. Neil Weissman, ASE President

I am writing you from the ‘Orange City’ – want to guess where I am? No, not someplace in Florida. Southern California hanging with the ‘Real Housewives’ of Orange County….NO, definitely not southern California!!

I am half way across the world in the Orange City of India!!!

Endorsed by American Society of Echo, Echo Nagpur 2014, is a hands-on and case-based echo course that I had the pleasure of being part of this weekend. Course directors (and active ASE members) Drs. Shantanu Sengupta, JC Mohan and Mahesh Fulwani did a great job. ASE was well represented with faculty members Bijoy Khanderia (past president), Partho Sengupta (Board member), David Adams (recipient of sonographer lifetime achievement award) and Jayne Cleve (sonographer from Duke, humanitarian volunteer and author of a great July JASE Sonographer blue page ‘Giving Back, Life Beyond the Echo Lab’)

Next week, several of the ASE members are headed over to Bangalore for ASEF’s third humanitarian mission in India – and you’re invited! Join our onsite team, for live broadcasts highlighting cases from among those being performed in patients with known rheumatic heart disease. Expert physicians located in the United States, including Drs. Thomas Ryan, Roberto Lang, Patricia Pellikka, and JamesThomas will provide commentary and engage in discussion with participants. Visit the ASEF Values page and the YouTube video below for more information.

iMEX- Imaging MexicoBy Dr. Neil Weissman, ASE President

I just got back from a wonderful meeting (in a wonderful place) and wanted to share it with you.

ASE is rapidly becoming an international organization (about 15% of our members are outside the US) and as such, our members are often involved in CV Imaging meetings throughout the world. As you new president, I was very proud to represent ASE (and have ASE associated with) the Global Congress of Echo and CV Imaging by SONECOM (Sociedad Nacional de Ecocardiografia de Mexico). Check out the video by course director Hugo Valaquez Moreno on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGT4ZTek5cE

This 4 day meeting had a ‘who’s who’ of experts. During the opening ceremony, I was sitting on the stage with the president-elect of the ACC, president-elect from European Assoc of CV Imaging, president of the Chinese echo society and editor of JACC Imaging. The faculty was also excellent with great talks on a variety of subject.

Talking about great speakers, below I continued the selfie tradition! Judy Hung (past chair of the ASE Scientific Sessions in 2013 and current chair of the Education Committee) and Federico Asch (chair of ASE Guidelines and Standards) gave outstanding lectures in the same session as me and chaired by Carlos Ixcamparu Rosales. To mark the occasion, we took a selfie – Judy’s first!

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And of course, another great part about going to these meetings is to meet up and spend some time with friends over a meal. So, in recognition of the originator of the ASE President Blog, Jim Thomas (who loved to post pictures of food), here is the tallest steak I ever ate:

ASE at Japanese Society of Echocardiography Meeting
Past, Present and Future Leaders Represent ASE in Japan

ASE President Benjamin F. Byrd III with JSE President Katsu Takenaka (left) and JSE Vice President Satoshi Nakatani (right) at the President’s Dinner.

ASE was well represented at the recent 25th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Society of Echocardiography, held April 17-19, 2014 in Kanazawa, Japan. Dr. Benjamin F. Byrd III, ASE President, presented a comprehensive lecture on “Echocardiographic Evaluation of Right Ventricular Function.” Also presenting was Dr. Sacha Bhatia, ASE’s Young Investigator Award winner, on “An Educational Intervention Reduces the Rate of inappropriate Transthoracic Echocardiograms in Ambulatory Care.” ASE Past President Dr. Anthony DeMaria, a frequent and popular lecturer within Japan, spoke on “Contrast Echocardiography: Current Status and Future Applications.” In addition, Dr. Rebecca Hahn provided interventional training on behalf of an industry sponsor of the JSE meeting. The 25th Annual Meeting was led by Dr. Masakazu Yamagishi, President of the Scientific Meeting.

Dr. Katsu Takenaka of Tokyo is serving as JSE President through 2016. JSE Vice President is Dr. Satoshi Nakatani. Both leaders have been ASE members for many years. ASE has enjoyed a long relationship with the Japanese society and counts a large number of Japanese echocardiographers as ASE members, including many physicians who trained at US institutions. Both societies are observing their 25th annual meetings in 2014.

A highlight for ASE representatives included the President’s Dinner on April 16. Held at a famous old-style Japanese restaurant, an abundant array of Japanese gourmet delicacies and spirits were presented to guests, followed by a performance by geisha singers and musicians.

Located in the Ishikawa Prefecture, Kanazawa is known for its famous gardens and beautifully preserved samurai and geisha districts. The JSE meeting was held at Ishikawa Ongakudo. The modern venue also serves as a concert hall, and adjoins the city’s train station, which through the integration of a traditional wooden temple gate with modern glass and steel is an architectural attraction in itself.

A lunar eclipse and still-blooming cherry blossoms added to the meeting festivities.